I've got the entry for this ready to go. Guess I'll see you there :)

Nice one :0)

Hope to depending on fitness

Was going to drive down with my brother. He's got a rack on the back with room for two bikes (only two, sorry). Not sure about staying there, or if we'll just do out-and-back in a day. If we stay over I guess we'd probably camp in tents.

Is there not much in the way of public transport there? Looking forward to testing out my new Look pedals.

I've not looked into transport and stuff yet. I'm scared :)
Are you doing one day or all 3 days?
Test your pedals WELL before Wessex!! :)

Just doing the Sunday actually. I hadn't realised that it was a bank holiday weekend when I booked it - so might think about doing the Monday as well. Apparently it is really hard, though.

Annoyingly left my pedals at home, so not sure when I'll be able to get them on the bike.

Really hard sounds about right, that's partly why I've not entered.. three days of hills.. then Paris-Roubiax.. then L2P all in a month.. for me.. big ouch!!
'course I did say I wanted to ride more but I'm worried about entering all these rides and then not being able to complete them. They are sportives though so you can take it quite easy if you want.

Pedals: Get 'em posted. You don't wanna be riding new pedals in Wessex.

You're doing Paris-Roubaix? You nutter!

I did see one organised thing for the Hell of the North, and you got to take home a souvenir Pave, which is kind of tempting.

just signed up for the dragon ride. see you there illy!

and might do the first two days of the tour of wessex. although mrs might want to use up the long weekend for a trip more to her liking...yet to be discussed.

ill do the ashdown if the weather's good...and if i get back into shape in time! just picked up the new bike today. needs a bit more adjustment (new pedals/shoes + could do with a shorter stem)...but ill be doin a few laps round richmond park this weekend to start my training with or without shorter stem

I've not entered but I'm very tempted (as bloody always). £225 for the P-R sportive.

How short a stem fbr?

I'm thinking Dragon Ride is about where I should be tapering off big rides. Next year. :)

Ralph - I'll join you this weekend if I can, let me know when you're going. Would like to see the Wilier in the flesh! What's the ashdown?

hippy, found the £225 price offputting, though it would be a hell of an experience.

Ha! That's why I'm whoring myself out in I.T. man! Screw the cost! :)

Doesn't this look like fun?? :)

Ralph: Yeah, when are you riding RP? It's my "I can't be fscked heading into real hills to get in the miles" training spot now.

Dry and sunny

http://asso.nordnet.fr/vcrcyclotourisme/Site%20web/Paris%20Roubaix%20Cyclo/PRx2008Anglais.htm

http://tignon.andre.free.fr/report.php?id=418

I'm in for the Wessex ride on the 25th.

re RichPk ride this weekend, ill keep an eye on the forecast. at the moment sunday looks alright...first thing in the morning. yeh, come along illy/hippy, if you guys want to try the new willier. fast crisp ride. still tryin to get to know my first road pedals...im always slipping out when i try to clip in. you got the same ones illy? look keo sprint.

the stem that came with the bike is 120mm. feels so fkn long. i measured it and it's actually closer to 125mm? anyway, might go for a 90mm. why you ask hippy, you got a spare 90mm? handlebar's OS.

illy, ashdown is the 100km ride organised by catfordcc for end of jan. it's cheap and not far from home so might be a goer http://www.londoncyclesport.com/news/article.asp?UAN=3748&v=1

No, I just got the Keo Classics. Seem really nice. Did you watch the promotional DVD? I was totally taken in and now want a Look bike...

I've always wanted to do the Tour of Flanders, details here.

http://www.sport.be/cyclingtour/rondevanvlaanderen/2008/eng/

Choice of 3 routes, the longest (259km) includes the flat section at the start of the race, the second (140 km) misses out the flat section plus the first 2 cols, the third (75km) misses the flat plus first 9.

Maybe next year!!

There's been talk of the Tour of Flanders as well.. but my participation in these things is getting ridiculous! :)

Ralph: I'm probably going out with the Willesden on Sunday so won't make RP.
Also, I ask about the stem because I have a Bontrager 100mm (i think) stem lying around. To my eye it appears to have tiny cracks near the screw holes but I guess they could be molding lines? I only noticed when I swapped it out with a shorter one anyway. Basically, if you wanted to try it out to get an idea of length, I'm sure it will hold up. If you want to race a season with it, I'd give it a miss. Anyway, it's there if you want it.
Single sideed road pedals do take some getting used to. Give it a couple of weeks years. ;)

Got accomm and transport sorted?

al@Have you paid the guy (scott?) yet? He wants £100 deposit. It's two weeks before L2P so it should be okay for me to do (in between Wessex and Circuit of Cotswolds).

nope. not even considered it yet......but considering it very quickly now I might, maybe, possibly ride down on the Sat and back on the Monday. That fcukup my week.

In the post. According to Londoncyclesport website places filling up fast. Scott's a good guy know him from Herne Hill, last time he rode event couldn't straighten his fingers for months, put it down to too much pressure in tires.

That's not what I want to hear.. I've got other rides to um.. ride after it. :S

Hey Hippy, I'm doing L2P and ToW too. Checked your Nicki Gudex link, nice one ;-) Did you see the calendar link I posted on the BikePorn thread?

Um.. probably but feel free to dig it out again and post it here :)

And the pic............
And the pic............

Ah yes, I am familiar with the L2P calendar.. :)

Peter van Petegem swears blind that you need no more than 5 bar (70 psi) in your tyres for pave so heed his advice. But everyone I've ever spoken to about Paris-Roubaix reckons you need 3-4 days recovery as a bare minimum.

WessexTriple - 2wks - ParisRoubaix - 2.5wks - L2P = doable? I dunno. I have serious doubts. I'm not built for distance.

Did anyone book the camping for Wessex? £10 per night per person is a bit steep. If I take Mal I'm spending as much on sleeping in a tent as I am riding! :S

He weighs 72kg.. I weigh 94kg. I'm not a fan of fixing punctures so would run my normal 100psi I think. That's also what they suggest on al@creative's website link.

I wonder what pressure Maggie Backstedt runs as he's about the same weight as you?

I lived in Belgium and rode an aluminium bike - I'd lowered my pressures after a couple of rides as I got fed up with riding the cycling equivalent of a pneumatic drill!